The Koine Bible

And it came to pass in that time that Judas went down from his brothers and came as far as to a certain Odollamite man, whose name was Iras.

And there Judah saw there the daughter of a Canaanite man, whose name was Saua, and he took her and went in to her.

And she conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Er

And conceiving again, she bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

And adding again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; but she was in Chezib when she bore them.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked before the Lord, and God put him to death

And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her by levirate duty, and raise up offspring for your brother.

But Onan, knowing that the offspring would not be his, whenever he went in to the wife of his brother, spilled onto the ground so as not to give offspring to his brother

But it appeared evil before God because he did this, and he put this one also to death.

And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Sit as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son becomes grown, for he said, lest he also die like his brothers. So Tamar went away and sat in her father’s house.

And the days were multiplied, and Sua, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah, having been comforted, went up to his sheepshearers, he himself and Hiras his shepherd, the Odollamite, to Thamna.

And it was reported to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.

And taking off the garments of her widowhood from herself, she wrapped herself in a veil and adorned herself and sat at the gates of Ainan, which is in the road of Thamna, for she saw that Shelam had grown up, but he did not give her to him as wife.

And Judah, seeing her, supposed her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face, and he did not recognize her

And he turned aside to her by the way and said to her, Let me come in to you, for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me if you come in to me?

And he said, I will send you a kid of goats from the flock. And she said, If you give a pledge until you send it.

And he said, What pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your ring and your cord and the staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and he went in to her, and she conceived by him.

And she rose up and went away and took off the veil from herself and put on the garments of her widowhood

And Judas sent the young goat by the hand of his shepherd, the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from the woman, but he did not find her

And he asked the men of the place, Where is the prostitute who was in Ainan by the road? And they said, There was no prostitute here.

And he returned to Judah and said, I did not find her, and the men of the place say there is no prostitute here.

And Judah said, Let her keep them, lest perhaps we be laughed at; I indeed have sent this young goat, but you have not found her.

And it came to pass after three months that it was reported to Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed prostitution, and behold, she is pregnant from prostitution. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burned.

And she, while being brought out, sent to her father-in-law, saying, By whom is this? I am with child; and she said, Recognize whose are the signet ring and the bracelet and this staff.

But Judah recognized and said, Tamar is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son; and he did not continue to know her again.

And it happened when she was giving birth that behold, twins were in her womb.

And it happened, in her giving birth, that the one put out his hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, This one will come out first.

But as he drew back his hand, immediately his brother came out, and she said, Why was the breach made for you? And she called his name Pharez.

And after this his brother came out, on whom was upon his hand the scarlet, and she called his name Zerah